News, observations and reader questions about the Sacramento Kings and the NBA.

April 28, 2006

You heard the term “must-win” incorrectly used many times during the the regular-season.
This is your must-win game! If the Kings lose this one, they are done. The season is over, with just another loss, potentially Sunday, as the death-knell.
And that is a pressure they put on themselves by losing Game 2 in San Antonio.
It was a game they should have won, but lost, just like Games 2 and 3 in the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004.
So the Kings are attempting to do at least two things that usually aren’t accomplished. They’ve given away a game in a seven-game series and now have to overcome a two-game deficit. And they have to do so against the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs, who have more talent this season than they did while winning the title last year.
Usually, when a team upsets a more highly-favored and talented squad, it’s accomplished by taking advantage of every opportunity presented. So the Kings have made this job even more difficult than it should have been.
Then again, what’s new?
Sac’s off to a good start, 13-12 midway through the first.